Ponzi Vineyards
Laurelwood Chardonnay 2019
Laurelwood District
Ponzi’s Laurelwood Chardonnay is crafted from fruit sourced from the family’s original 1970 plantings and other estate vineyards within the Laurelwood District AVA. Situated in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains, the vineyard soils are characterized by the Laurelwood soil series—windblown loess atop ancient basalt bedrock. This unique soil composition imparts wines with great elegance, complexity, and abundant spice notes of white pepper, cardamom, and cola. Ponzi’s vineyards, sustainably farmed and LIVE Certified, highlight the region’s influence, where soil depth and elevation shape the wine’s character, from red fruit in younger vines to darker, richer flavors with age.
VINEYARD
The Laurelwood Chardonnay is a blend of Ponzi’s LIVE Certified Sustainable Avellana and Aurora Vineyards, along with the Paloma Vineyard, all on Laurelwood soil in the Laurelwood District AVA of the Chehalem Mountains.
WINEMAKING
The fruit was whole cluster pressed and the juice moved to French oak barrels (14% new) and fermented in barrel using native yeast. Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and 100%. Lees were stirred once a week for 6 months and racked after 12 months to very neutral oak. After 20 months of total barrel aging, the wine was moved by compressed gas to tank for blending, then bottled by gravity.
VINTAGE
2019 was a throwback to more classic Oregon vintages and a reminder of why the Willamette Valley was put on the map. A mild summer with just a hint of humidity gave way to a dry September, followed by a familiar dance between clear skies and rain through October. Fruit was harvested in waves between weather windows, retaining beautiful acidity and freshness. The resulting wines are elegant, low in alcohol, and a pure expression of what the valley achieves in a cooler year.
TASTING NOTE
A complex nose of honeysuckle, mandarin, white peach, mango, lemongrass and ginger leads into a full palate, reminiscent of a light meringue and shortbread, all framed by a lively acidity and fresh finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Roasted halibut, lobster bisque, soft-ripened cheeses
Color
White
Blend %
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Laurelwood District
Alcohol
13.2%
Suggested Retail Price
$36
Reviews
Wine Advocate - May 18, 2023
James Suckling - September 30, 2022
Reviews
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Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Pinot Noir Reserve
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Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve is the epitome of restrained power. It hails from estate grown fruit on Laurelwood soils in the Chehalem Mountains, including from some of Oregon’s oldest vines. This remarkably complex wine is handcrafted with tremendous attention to detail.
Tavola Pinot Noir
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Tavola is Ponzi's delicious early release Pinot Noir, a fruit-forward wine with soft tannins, made primarily from younger, lower elevations vines. Meant for early consumption, it is an unbeatable value for quality Pinot Noir.
Laurelwood Pinot Noir
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Dick and Nancy Ponzi helped put Oregon on the map in the United States and the world, and the Ponzi family has worked continuously for over 50 years leading and innovating in the region and, in the case of Pinot Noir, across the country and indeed the world. Today winemaker Luisa Ponzi continues her work of the last 30 years with the family of Champagne Bollinger, which acquired Ponzi Vineyards in 2021. The estate’s drive to create distinctly pure Pinot Noir, in a distinctly Oregon manner, has never been stronger.
Pinot Gris
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One of the original and most recognized Oregon and U.S. Pinot Gris producers, Ponzi was a major influence in establishing Pinot Gris as the first quality white grape variety in Oregon. Ponzi's Pinot Gris is an irresistably aromatic and expressive wine, and serves as a first encounter for many wine drinkers with Oregon wines and the Ponzi estate.
